Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-21
LOSS OF THE STEAMER sCHoLrEN.

LOSS OF THE STEAMER sCHOLTEN.
sunk I'm Collision off Dover and Over
$50 Lives Lost, Most Of the Life Boats
Useless, the Crew Cow ardly and Great
Confusion On the VeSsel.
The Dutch steamer W. A. Scholten, Capt Taat
which left Rotterdam on Saturday for New York
was sunk by q collision with the steamer Rosa
Mary, OF Hartlepool at IL O'Clock Saturday night
| 10 miles on Dover. The Schoten carried q COM
PIGMENT OF go passengers and crew. The steamer
Eoro, Of sunderland, rescued ninety OF the crew
| and passengers and land them at Dover. One
hundred and thirtytwo OF the passengers are mis-
| sing. One passenger and a child OF the party
| brought TO Dover were found dead from exposure.
AT the time OF the accident dense fog prevailed
| The Scholtsn was struck on the port bow by the
Rosa Mary. Immediately after the shock was
| felt the Scholtens passengers all Of whom had
retired for the night rushed on deck In their night
clothes. The boats were promptly ordered 10 be
lowered, but IL was found that only two were
available The three Others were useless and were
not lowered. The water rushed swiftly through
the hole in the bow and terrible scene ensued.
The pan1c-strtcken passengers uttered piercing
shrieks. and many OF them fell upon their knees
and prayed alpud The Officers were elf-possesset
and remained on the bridge TO the last. several
persons procured ltfe-belts and leaped into the
sea Within twenty minutes OF the shock the
Scholton was engulfed. All those who had put on
life-beltS 1Oated and were rescued by The boats
from the steamer EDro which crulsed around until
O'Clock in the morning. Many OF the rescued
survivors were supplied with clothes and every
thing possible was done TO insure their comfort
CONFLICTING STORIES OF THE DISASTER.
The passengers accounts diner regarding the
circumstances OF the collision. and the reports Of
the oicers OF the schoten clash with those Of the
officers Of the Rosa Mary. Some OF the passengers
state that the evenings merriment had ceased and
most OF the passengers had retired 10 their hunks,
only a few remaining In the saloon, when ire
mendouS crash was heard on the port bow. They
say IL Is impossible that the collision could have
occurred by the SchoIten striking an anchored
vessel
The second mate OF the Scholten reports that
he was on deck when he saw an unknown steamer
coming through the fog. Before ything could
De done the Scholten struck In the fore rigging
and port bow. The other vessel, which he now
presuInes was the Rosa Mary, backed off and dts
appeared. Within twenty minutes the scholten
sank.
The captain of the Rosa Mary states that his
vessel was run into while anchored southeast OF
South Sandhead Finding that the Rosa Mary was
damaged, he proceeded TO Dover Roads
STORIES OF PASSENGERS.
Geo. Moore, a passenger, states that when the
crash occurred a general rush was made for the
deck. 81 was told that nothing serious had oc-
CURED" he says "but secured a life-belt. There
were six English passengers on board the vessel,
and one OF these. a girl, asked US to keep In
group that the English might go down together:
was In the water long time before being picked
I'D. When the Scholten sank the cries were heart
nding. The captain OF the Ebro, the rescuing
vessel, behaved nobly. He had all his deck-lOad
act saved many lives. only two OF the scholten's
boats were lowered; the others could not be got
adrift. do not know whether this was due TO
any fault on board. The vessel listed over so
much that all the boats could not be dropped
into the water. The people rushed about In the
greatest state Of excitement, all trying TO get
place In the two boats which had been successfully
lowered. The scare and disorder prevented many
persons being saved. The water was freezing
cold. This fastened the death Of many, rendering
them powerleSS."
Charles Mills Of Red Hill, surrey, says the life
boats appeared as II they had not been used for
long time. "They had 10 be chopped away with
axes with the assistance OF passengers. called
out 10 those on the bridge TO fire rockets. 1t
confusion prevailed. The ship was right over on
her port side before they fired the rockets. /
waited until the water touched the boilers, put
ting out the fires. Then got hold or belt, but
Dutch sailor snatchedt IL away: Wewere all mixed
together, clingtng to one another In the water. l
saw several drown In this way and had the great
est difficulty to keep clear OF them. The Dutch
sailors want-d to save themselves and even thrust
the women aside. After the collision went down
into the cabin and awoke two Dutch ladies' but
up, despite all entreaties. i heard other COM
plants about the conduct OF the Dutch sailors.
The confusion was extreme. Everybody seemed
terror-sIrtcken. This may account for the appar-
ent want OF discipline The frantic passengers un-
nerved some OF the crew, preventing them from
captain did his utmost TO restore order. believe
good lookout was kept. We had our lights up"
said: "While the sailors werl endeavoring to low
er the boats the passengers hndered them by rush.
ing frantically against them. The crew tried
10 keep the passengers back, thus losing valuable
time. When the boats were finally lowered there
was rush 10 get In them. / tried, too, but did
llfe-boat The scene on the deck was appalling.
The passengers and crew were crowded together,
and the shrieks OF the women, the cries OF child
rem and the shouts OF the men were frightfuL
Some OF the passengers were on their knees pray
ing. When the Shoten sank beneath our feet
there was struggle in the Icy water. Most OF US
The second of1cer declares that every precau-
ton had been taken on board the Scholtea. A
had the ordinary watch on the bridge at the time
OF the disaster but all the Oficers, who intended
TO remain there until the vessel was fairly down
the channel
The captain was last seen at his post trying to
quiet the passengers and get the boats on.
according 70 tue latest statement there were
two hundred and ten persons on board the ScnOl-
ten, leaving one hundred and th1rty-two drowned
and missing. The first mate and fourth engineer
ten lies four miles from the Admiralty pier at
Dover. Her three masts are visible.
RECOVERING THE BODIES.
The quays at Dover were crowded throughout
the day with people who had come TO watch the
recovery OF bodies. No bodies were recovered dur
ing the morning because the tide was running 10
the easeward but many were brought back with
the ebb. Darkness prevented the recovery OF more
Dodies out many boats and tugs put to sea on the
chance OF picking up others In the morning. Many
OF those whose bodies have been recovered look as
II they had been frozen TO death. The Rosa Mary
sustained extensive damage, and was only kept
anoat by her water-tight bulkneads. An of1cer Of
the Scholten states that the Rosa Mary was carry
Ing no side lights, but was showing the usual
masthead lights to indicate that she was lying at
anchor. They steered straight down the channel
leaving her sufficient room 10 pass clear. When
they drew near they found that she was steaming
ahead and making right on to them. They tried
70 signal her on, but It was too late She struck
the Schoiten on the port bow, rippiDg OF the
plates some distance and exposing the Interior
The hole thus made extended below the water
line.
The officers OF the Rosa Mary aver that they
were lying at archor and we're run into They
say that they did not weigh anchor until morn
ing.
RESCUED BY THE EBRO.
Laurens Geaken, subagent OF the steamship
company in New York, was on the Scnoiten
"when the collision occurred" said he 1.-TWO life
boats were at once lowered and overcrowded
There was no time 10 lower any other boats. We
sent up rockets, blue lights, for assistance and
blew our whistles continually. our signals were
sighted by the steamer Eb.O, which came into the
middle or The wreckage OF the sinking ship and
NoA aboard the passengers OF the Two boats and
as many others as were found floating. Our boats
and the Eoro'S boat rOwed around for four hours
and picked up all they could md OF those strug-
CLING In the water, and a, nothing more could be
found We came into Dover. 1t would have been
NaN-Z EaaL g as -.